1. Technical Field
The present invention generally pertains to a sliding door assembly for a motor vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stabilizer for a sliding door track which opposes lateral movement of the sliding door when in the closed postion.
2. Discussion
In the automotive industry, sliding doors have become standard to provide passenger access to high occupancy vehicles such as minivans. A typical sliding door assembly includes a hinge assembly connecting the sliding door to a track. The track generally extends along the side of the vehicle and can be located in a number of positions. For example, a lower track is often positioned along a lower edge of the vehicle, and curves beneath the passenger compartment at the front end. Similarly, an upper track corresponding in shape is often positioned along an upper edge of the vehicle. The sliding door is generally guided along the tracks by a plurality of guide wheels contacting internal surfaces of the tracks. The ability of vehicle sliding doors to open and close easily and accurately is very important to door operation and customer satisfaction.
A critical parameter affecting this ease and accuracy of door movement is the alignment of the sliding door with the body of the vehicle when transitioning to and from the closed position. For example, movement of the sliding door in the lateral (cross-car) direction during this transition creates additional stress on the passenger door and surrounding parts. Movement of the door in a lateral direction may also result in undesirable noise and vibrations during vehicle travel when the door is closed.
To assist with alignment, it is common to dispose a plurality of sliding door stabilizer halves along the forward facing perimeter of the sliding door. The sliding door stabilizer halves cooperate with a corresponding plurality of body stabilizer halves along the vehicle body. The two sets of halves mate in a male/female fashion when the door is opening and closing. Stabilization takes place at a moment just before the sliding door is closed and just after it is opened.
An improved sliding door lower track stabilizer is disclosed by commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,022, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. The disclosed apparatus is coupled to the lower track and limits cross-car movement of a guide wheel. The apparatus improves door alignment during transition to and from a closed position.
While known sets of stabilizer halves and the apparatus disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,022 provide significant functional advantages, a need remains in the art for a stabilizer that substantially eliminates noise and vibrations which may result between an upper guide track and associated guide wheel.